Spark-gap



0. W. KINLEY.

SPARK GAP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8.1919.

1,342,816, v Patented June s, 1920.

. and inexpensive construction, in which all @REE-l Vif. KINLEY, F DES MOINES, IG'WA.

Lemerre.

Specification of Letters Patent.

latented June 8, 192i).

Application filed .uy 8, 1919. Serial No. 309,492.

To al? w'wm 1f/may concern:

Be it lrnown that l, @man lill. l'iivn'er, a citizen of the United States,I and resident oi' Des Moines, in the count)7 oi Polli; and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Spark-Gap, of which the Jiollowing `is a specification. i

Y My invention relates to that class of lspark gaps that are usually employed. in connection with internal combustion .en-

. gines and are interposed between the spark plugs of the engine and the service wires .running to the spark plugs, for the pu pose of visually detecting short circuits and for Aincreasing the intensity of the spark in the spark plugs.

' The object of my invention is to provide.

a spark gap of this class of simple, durable of the parts may be constructed easily and inexpensively of cheap materials, and readily and easily assembled without the use of screw-threaded parts, and when so assembled will provide i. spark gap device lin which the their proper pts to each other p and furthermore, to provide a spark gap ci iis class in which the spari; Within the sparlcgap device is visible to the operator ai all times and yet is protected in Such a. manner as to prevent igniting any gases that may be present adjacent to the spark plug, and also prevent dust, etc., from entering the space between the terminals forming the spark gap.

My invention .consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims', and illustrated in the acronipanying drawings, in which:

Figure l shows a spark plug of ordinary construction, and a conductor leading there to, with one of my improved spark gaps connected to the conductor and spark plug.

.rts cannot be moved troni FimQ shows a longitudinal sectional view' of a sparlrga-p embodying my invention and attached to a conductor wire.

Fig. 3 shows a top or plan view of saine. Fig. 4 shows a vertical, longitudinal., sectional View of a moditled form ot saine.

ition of adjustment relative Fig. 5 snows a plan view oit the central insulatine member of the sparll: gap shown in Fig. si.

Fig. G shows a insulating:r meinbcr 7*-.shows a plan view of the mica member of saine; and

Fig. 8 shows a plan view of the top insulating` member of saine.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, l have used the referencenunieral l() to indicate a spark; plug of ordinary con` struction, and il a wire for conducting current to the spark plug. This wire is preferably provided at one end with a {lattened conducting member 12, having' a circular opening ther )in to receive a rivet for connecting it to the spark nlug.

ln the forni of my invention shovvn in Figs. to inclusive, the spark `ap device vis composed of a lower insulating member 13 shown in Fig. (l, and provided with two circular openings i4. ,immediately above the bottoni iber 13 is second insulating member l5 having formed therein two circular recesses designed to receive and filJ around the disleshapec .spark gap terminals 1G. These terminals are made of brass oi' plan vieuY ot the lower of saine.

4other goed velectrical conducting material,

and are provided with central openings to receive hollow rivets hereinafter described. They are so arranged within the insulating member 15 that their adjacent edges stand spaced apart from each other the proper Directly above the insulating meniber l5 and the terminal 16 is a mica plate 17 having two openings 18 therein to receive the hollow,` rivets. Immediately above the mica member i7 is a third insulatingr member 19 havingr rivet openings Q0 therein, and an opening 2l between thcln through which the spark 'may be observed.

ln assembling` the device the parts are placed together asilluetrated in Fig. 4, and then two hollow rivets 2Q are passed through the rivet openings, and the ends through which at one end and the other end is detachably connected to a spark plug by having the screw-threaded upper end of the spark gap inserted through. the hollow rivet 22, and the nut 23 on the spark plug is screwed down to hold the spark gap firmly in position thereon.

ln the modified form illustrated in Figs.

2 and`3 I employ only two insulator mem` bers instead of three as in the form of the device before described.

ln'this form of the device the two insulating members Aare indicated by the refen ence numerals 24 and 25, laid one on top of the other and each provided. with the counter-sunk opening clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, `to receive the dislr shaped terminals 16, andthe mica plate 25 is mounted on top of the member 25 and the parts are all assembled and held together by hollow rivets the same as in the other form, the upper plate 25 being provided with an opening 27 'the spark may be observed. The so-called insulating members are preferably made of' fibrous or other hard rubber insulating material which is very inexpensive which may be readily and easily cut by dies to the forms shown in the drawin s.

preferably employ a sheet of mica as the means for observing the spark and at the same time protecting the space between the spark terminals from dust and dirt and also from that might be exploded by the spark, although, obviously, any other material which will resist heat and at the same time be transparent may be employed.

Aside from the advantage of being inexpensively constructed, my device has several advantages over other devices of this kind, in that after the parts have been assembled the terminal disks cannot be moved from their position and hence will always remain in their properly spaced position relative to each other.

Another advantage is that the spark gap is permanently attached to an electric conneeaeie ducting wire and may be shipped and handled easily without danger of breakage.

claim as my invention:

l, An improved spark gap comprising a base member of insulating material, two disk-shaped metal terminal members on top of the base member, a strip ot' transparent heat resisting insulating material on top of thi disk-shaped terminals, and hollow rivets passed through the insulating members and theterminal members for firmly and permanently uniting them and for providing means whereby the spark gap thus formed may be electrically connected to a conductor wireand a spark plug.

2. n improved spark gap comprising a base member of insulating material, two disk-shaped metallic terminals mounted on the base plate, a transparent insulating plate mounted on top ot' the terminals, a conductor wire having at one end a flat metallic conductor mounted above one of the metallic disks, a hollow rivet passed through the said flattened conductor plate, the transparent insulating' member, one ot the disks and the base member, and another hollow rivet passed through the other disk, and through the transparent insulating member and the base member, -for the purposes stated.

3. An improved spark gap comprising a fiat base member of insulating' material having two rivet sulating member, having large circular openings therein, mounted on top of the base member, a third insulating member et transparent material, having rivet openings therein, mounted on top ot the second, a top insulating member on the transparent ,member, having rivet openings therein and a sight opening between the rivet openings, a conductor terminal having a rivet opening therein, twol disleshaped metallic terminals `mounted in the opening in the second insulating member, a hollow rivet extended through the base member, one of the disk members, the transparent insulator, the top insulator and the said conductor plate, and a second hollow rivet passed through the base member, the remaining disk, the transparent insulator and the top member, substantially as and for the purposes stated.

Des Moines, Iowa, May 24, 1919.

@REN W. KINLEY.

openings therein, a second in- 

